What Happened At The End Of This 1945 Lions Game? [Video]

Just like now, the Lions lose on Thanksgiving, only its outdoors at Tiger Stadium and it's to the Cleveland Rams. That's right, Cleveland.

But something weird happens at the end of the game, and I want to know what it is.

This footage from the 1945 Thanksgiving Day game is edited, so you can watch the whole game in 25 minutes. The Lions lost, 28-21, although in their defense, the Rams were NFL champs that season. The Lions were a respectable 6-3 at the time.

At the end of the game this weird thing happens that must have been in the rules at the time, but I have never seen in a football game in my life, and I've been to a lot of football games.

The Lions try an onside kick and fail. The Rams take over, run a play and just as the final gun is sounded, one of the referees hikes the ball at the Rams, who seem like they need to catch it to win. It appears this is how all games ended back then, but it just seems like a strange way to end a game.